As my nutrition practice has changed through the years, I have honed in on working with women with life-altering symptoms. It didn’t take me long working in private practice to notice a trend in my client’s symptoms. A large majority of women that I work with suffer from anxiety. Most women take medication for it, but you know me…I want to work with women on managing anxiety naturally.
My Story with Managing Anxiety Naturally
Early in my career, I worked at a hospital in the cardiac and pulmonary rehab. I worked with in-patient clients in the morning and then went to the rehab in the afternoon. It was a new position for me and I was the only dietitian in the rehab. It was awesome because I could make the nutrition program my own!
Shortly after starting that position, I started having digestive problems (gas, bloating and pain). I went to the doctor to only be prescribed a medication. Because the doctor didn’t figure out the root cause, not surprisingly, the medication didn’t help. I didn’t want to be in the medical system hamster wheel going to doctor after doctor trying to get a diagnosis. I was a dietitian…I could figure this out on my own right?? So I got to work.
Managing Anxiety Naturally
I noticed the digestive upset started in the afternoons and only during the work week, not on the weekends. It finally hit me…I was nervous about my role as a young, sole dietitian in the rehab. I had anxiety!
I thought, “Oh I’ve got this!!” I started to pay attention to my daily habits and made the necessary changes to manage anxiety naturally. This is what I did and you can implement the changes too.
Talk Nice To Myself
In the afternoons, when the digestive upset started, I intuitively knew to pay attention to my thoughts. I was telling myself I was not good enough for that job. Yes I loved it, but I told myself that my employers were going to find out I had no idea what I was doing. They were going to figure out I was too young for that job and they were going to move me out and put me in an easier position.
To manage anxiety naturally, the first step I took was to change my thoughts. I stopped the lies and negativity in it’s track and spoke the truth to myself. Just the act of speaking truth into myself was probably the most powerful change I made.
Took Deep Breathes
While I spoke truth into myself, I took deep breaths. I breathed in the truth and breathed out the lies I was telling myself. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was doing my first breathwork sessions right there in my office. Being intentional with my breath was a key step in me managing anxiety naturally.
Incorporated More Cruciferous Veggies
Veggies give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to nutrient density. They are loaded with needed vitamins and minerals without giving anything unnecessary. All veggies are important but cruciferous veggies provide the extra nutrients your liver needs to detox well, making managing anxiety naturally easier.
Some of the most common cruciferous veggies include: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy, radish, watercress, kale, turnip, beets, and arugula. My recommendation for my clients is to get as many cruciferous veggies as possible but at least one every three days because it takes three days for your body to use up the nutrients from them.
Supplemented with Magnesium
Supplementation can be extremely helpful, especially when trying to manage anxiety naturally. It is well-known that magnesium is depleted in a large percentage of women. Magnesium helps to relax muscle tension in the body and helps to balance cortisol levels. When a woman is deficient in magnesium, cortisol levels can remain elevated and tension is very hard to calm. Many women don’t know how to relax when asked to. Supplementing with magnesium is a very important step for managing anxiety naturally.
Connect with me!
I hope this post taught you something new and helps you on your journey with managing anxiety naturally. Please comment below if you have any questions…I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you think this would be helpful to someone you know, feel free to share it with a friend!
